Childress v Hankins

1-8-2016 Illinois:

Plaintiff is civilly detained in the Rushville Treatment and Detention Center pursuant to the Illinois Sexually Violent Persons Commitment Act, 725 ILCS 207/1, et seq. He alleges that he is a paraplegic, needing frequent daily catheterizations to empty his bladder, a wheelchair, a wheelchair-accessible room and toilet, grab bars by the toilet, and a shower seat. For years Plaintiff has allegedly received these accommodations, per order of the doctor on site.

On June 18, 2015, Plaintiff was allegedly removed from his room and placed in a segregation cell without the necessary accommodations or any written notice of any rules he had broken. Handcuffs were allegedly placed too tightly on Plaintiff intentionally during the transport, and Plaintiff was wheeled to segregation in an aggressive manner intended to frighten him.

All of the Defendants allegedly ignored Plaintiff's pleas for a room that would accommodate his medical condition, remarking that Plaintiff should have thought of that before pursuing lawsuits against them. For six days Plaintiff was allegedly kept in the cell with no way to safely use the toilet or to clean himself. He was not permitted to send out any correspondence, including legal mail. He was allegedly forced to sit and lay in his own urine and feces, with no change of clothes, soap, toothpaste, toothbrush, or other necessities during this entire time.

Committed Sex Predator Has Case Over Cancer

4-8-2013 New Jersey:

A prison medical provider must face claims that it waited over a year to diagnose a sexually violent predator with level 2 melanoma, a federal judge ruled.

Michael Hasher has been committed to New Jersey's Special Treatment Unit as a sexually violent predator since 2004. Correctional Medical Services (CMS), a private company, provided medical care there until Oct. 1, 2008.

Hasher claims that CMS personnel have treated him for such chronic conditions as dizziness, hearing difficulty, blurry vision and weakness since February 2007. At that time, Hasher allegedly reported a black growth on his left temple to Dr. Ahab Gabriel, who was supervised by Dr. Herbert Smyczek, the CMS medical director.

Hasher claimed that CMS nevertheless ignored the warning signs until an outside dermatologist, described only as Dr. Manhong in the complaint, diagnosed him on sight with level 2 melanoma in April 2008. He said a biopsy report later confirmed, the diagnosis with depth of invasion of at least 0.5 mm.

On May 20, an ear, nose and throat specialist, Dr. Sadeq Razvi, recommended that Hasher undergo plastic surgery with a wide excision. Dr. Shar, as he is described in the complaint, removed the quarter-size melanoma at St. Francis Hospital on July 7. He allegedly said that Hasher's history of dizziness and ear problems could be a result of metastasis to the brain and recommended an MRI and CAT scan.

Hasher then filed a federal complaint against Correctional Medical Services, Drs. Gabriel and Smyczek, as well as the New Jersey Department of Corrections' former commissioner, George Hayman, and the Special Treatment Unit's former administrator, Bernard Goodwin, for delaying his medical treatment for over a year. Hasher sought a temporary restraining order or preliminary injunction.